While I am reading ... What I am reading ...

Friday, October 07, 2016
Hiba Moeen
6 Comments

I have a habit of keeping a book with me, especially while I am travelling or even if it's for a mere commute to office and then back home in my jumpy joy ride, the ultimate rickshaw! One can't simply explain the pleasure of reading a book while trying not to fall out of the rickshaw while it is flying ... in Karachi. Always opt for the Vespa rickshaw rather than the CNG one, at least you won't feel that you are travelling inside a cardboard box. And well ... talking about enjoying reading during a rickshaw ride is something debatable though, as the word that you might have your eyes fixed on might jump as you bump into the next and then the next and then another bump in the road. After all, it's Karachi and then you would feel the need of pulling the word back from the air and fixing it back in the book at its original location.

Some of these rickshaw drivers make sure that they make a brain smoothie out of your head, not to mention that some seem to have been pilots in the past who got fired for impetuous flying in the air. But generally speaking, rickshaw rides are fun.

This is when I also think that public transport drivers also need to associat their mouths and minds with a comparatively better and a refreshing habit like chewing the locally launched Trident rather than wasting their lives keeping a mouthful of niswar, gutka, and betel leaves.

As I write this, my parrot is screaming her head of and trying to pretend to be a masochist by demonstrating what pulling feathers are like. Basically, she is seeking attention which she gets very much of, just now I let her out and the first thing she wanted to do was to write this blog post instead while taking control of the keyboard. She might look very innocent but she isn't, trust me ... but, but, but ... she's love!

My beautiful bird, Coco trying to act innocent!

So coming back to what I am reading and how I have been going about it. The last novel I read was the the Girl on the Train which I also wrote a review for. I was completely taken over by it until the end. So when I tend to read, amidst my solitude I tend to either sip my coffee in peace or considering my newfound habit, I chew gum. I haven't been a gum person but ever since I laid my hands on the recently launched gum, Trident by Mondelēz Pakistan I have been chewing it quite regularly while reading a suspense thriller, Finders Keepers by Stephen King. So when you are reading something like this by an author like Stephen King, you need to keep your mouth and mind refreshed and occupied by indulging into the ultimate refreshing habit.

The plot of the story goes back to the 70's (1978 to be precise) when Morris Bellamy an obsessed reader invades the residence of America's symbolic author, John Rothstein and steals a trunk of money and his invaluable unpublished work before finally murdering him. Morris gets sentenced for thirty fives years in prison. Meanwhile in 2009, a boy named Pete Saubers discovers the same trunk. As time goes by and upon release in 2014, Morris is after the same treasure. Will Pete succumb to Darwinism? How he will be saved from the consequences that follow will be revealed later on. So far I have read about 50 plus pages so let's see how the book goes on ...

Enjoying Trident while I read Finders Keepers

After completing this particular novel, I will start reading Misery by the same author, provided I get enough time. I bought it from a book fair which is held every Sunday at Frere Hall. As also evident by its appearance, Misery is a 1987 psychological horror novel which was also nominated for the World Fantasy Award for the best novel in 1988. This novel is also about a writer Paul Sheldon, a writer quite renowned for Victorian-era
romance novels involving the character of Misery Chastain. One particular day, in this case as well, an obsessed fan rescues Paul from a car crash and takes him to her house. She then forces him to modify the story in his latest book just because she didn't like it as she would go at any length to make him do it!

So coming back to the gum needed while reading a psychological thriller. Trident has been launched in four flavours; two are mint flavours, namely Spearmint and Peppermint, while two are fruity flavours: Watermelon and Strawberry. My personal favourite is Strawberry though quite a number of people have revealed that they like the Watermelon flavour a lot. So it's a chewing gum targetted towards adults unlike a bubble gum which is formulated to make big bubbles. Trident, on the other hand, has a softer chew and the flavour is pretty long lasting which came as a surprise to me as it also didn't become hard after constant chewing. There were these flavours left in my room which smelled good after I returned to it after quite a while.

My favourite flavour

The price points are quite cost effective for the masses as well since a single unit costs Rs. 5 and the five piece pack costs Rs. 25.

Single unit of Trident

All 4 flavours of Trident available in Pakistan

So are you a mint person or a fruity person?

Hey wait, did you know these facts about Trident?

1.It was launched in 1964 as the first patented sugar free gum.

2. It was the first gum in space and has been in
every space shuttle mission since 1981.3. It's available in more than 70 countries.

4. It is available around the world under various sibling brand names, for example; it is known as Beldent in Argentina, First in
Turkey, Hollywood in France, Dirol in Russia, and Stomirol in most of Europe
and Africa.

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6 comments:

Subliminal marketing I though about but then I realised it is a complete ishtehar :-D you forgot to mention that all the characters were secretly chewing Trident gum oh I mean the newly launched Trident gum. Stephen King used the same gum to prevent his eustachian tube during his flight is a rickshaw

Thank you for the lame comment ... well at least you commented. :PI must be advertising the book fair of Frere Hall too then and Stephen King as well. I may or may not be ... you never know.Now please elaborate the link you have created between the eustachian tube and the rickshaw.

A brilliant blog post.Rickshaw ride details are very tempting in this post and also in few other posts in past. and now whenever I use rickshaws, I consider their drivers some creatures jumped right from space to drive rickshaws on the roads of Karachi.Really enjoyed reading it. Well done Hiba. Keep writing and continue to enlighten us with your various experiences

Hey Hiba! I thoroughly enjoyed reading your blogpost. Rickshaw rides part was so relatable!😍. Lol I also don't travel on the cng ones anymore cx they are so light and keep bumping on every other speed breaker.